Radiologist among 8 new members of US Preventive Services Task Force
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday named eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, including a noted radiologist.
Dennis W. Wulfeck, MD, MBA—a diagnostic specialist and president of the practice board at Rad Partners affiliate Mori, Bean and Brooks—is joining the influential, 16-member panel. He brings 33 years of experience in medical imaging, with the HHS secretary selecting Wulfeck for his expertise in modeling screening approaches, designing research studies and applying recommendations to enhance preventive care.
Kennedy believes the new members bring a breadth of medical knowledge, deep clinical experience and leadership that will greatly benefit the USPSTF, which was first created in 1984. Its recommendations are noteworthy, as they dictate what preventive screenings and other such care payers will cover.
“The Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendations influence preventive care across America, and Americans deserve recommendations grounded in rigorous, objective science,” Kennedy said in a statement from HHS Sept. 17. “We are strengthening the task force to ensure it asks hard questions, follows the evidence wherever it leads, and maintains the highest standards of scientific integrity.”
Wulfeck has been with Jacksonville, Florida-based Mori, Bean & Brooks since 1999, with Radiology Partners acquiring the group in 2018. He earned his medical degree from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, and completed a nuclear medicine fellowship at the University of Cincinnati. Wulfeck also earned his MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a doctorate of health administration degree from the Medical University of South Carolina.
“I am honored and privileged to be added to this task force,” Wulfeck said on social media Sept. 17.
The American College of Radiology congratulated the physician for his appointment on Thursday, noting that it has long advocated for more specialty representation on the USPSTF.
“Dr. Wulfeck brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, and the college is excited that a radiologist physician will be serving on the task force,” ACR CEO Dana Smetherman, MD, MBA, MPH, said in a statement shared with Radiology Business. “ACR strongly encourages radiologists to pursue their interests in public service, including running for elected office, and accepting government advisory and leadership roles in local, state and federal government departments and agencies."
The new USPSTF members join eight others currently serving on the task force. Other additions include Venkatesh L. Murthy, MD, PhD, a cardiologist and professor of radiology with the University of Michigan, and Goldie Stands-Over-Bull, MD, lead family physician at Texas Native Health in Dallas. Outside of medical care, Kennedy also is appointing Stephen T. Parente, PhD, the Minnesota Insurance Industry chair of health finance, among other titles, to the task force.
Meanwhile, the American Medical Association expressed concern about the appointments on Thursday. It noted that the task force has built its credibility on a membership “grounded in prevention and primary care,” selecting members who “understand how recommendations translate into clinical practice.”
“The composition of this new slate represents a significant departure from the task force’s traditional membership,” AMA President Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH, a trained urologist, said in a statement. “We believe maintaining a strong primary care voice must remain central to its work. As the USPSTF moves forward, its recommendations must continue to be based on a transparent, rigorous, independent scientific process and informed by the perspective of physicians who deliver preventive care to patients every day.”
The moves come amid months of controversy for the task force. About four months ago, Kennedy dismissed its vice chairs, while five other members’ terms expired at the start of 2026. Kennedy opted not to replace them, with previous chair, Michael Silverstein, also departing on his own, according to published reports. The HHS secretary—an established vaccine skeptic—had reportedly at one point considered dismissing all 16 members of panel, claiming they were too political, according to the Wall Street Journal.
USPSTF also has canceled multiple meetings since Kennedy took over as secretary.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.